Page 116 of Ghosted

“And this is why I didn’t want to tell you,” she says, quieter now. “Because you don’t hear hurt when it comes from me. You hear permission.”

“That’s not fucking fair and you know it.”

“No?” She laughs once, but there’s nothing in it. “Look at you.”

I can’t.

I can’t fucking stand here and look at her looking like that and do nothing.

“What did he do, Alice?”

Her eyes shine, but she doesn’t let anything fall. Somehow, that’s worse.

“He ruined something,” she says. “Something of mine. Something small and stupid and mine, and he did it because he knew it would get a reaction.”

My jaw locks so hard pain shoots into my temple.

“What?”

She shakes her head. “You don’t get the details.”

“I’m going to kill him.”

“I know.” Her voice turns colder. “That’s the problem.”

“Move.”

The word comes out before I can stop it.

Her face changes.

I force my hand open. “Alice⁠—”

“No.” She steps back, but only enough to put more door between us. “You came here to check on me, right? Checked. I’m alive. Congratulations.”

“You don’t look alive.”

Her mouth trembles once, then hardens. “Fuck you.”

I deserve that, but I still don’t move.

The thought of leaving her here makes my skin crawl. The thought of Johnny breathing somewhere after doing this to her makes everything in me go black around the edges.

“Just fucking let me in,” I say.

Alice’s hand tightens on the door. “No.”

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

“I know.” Her voice is flat, tired, and somehow worse than if she screamed. “That’s not the problem.”

My jaw locks.

Fuck.

“Alice—”

“No.” Her eyes lift to mine. Hollow. Red around the edges. Done in a way that makes something ugly twist under my ribs. “I’m done letting Cutters into my space.”